Crowdfunding Pick of the Week: New LED Light Bulb Brings Energy Efficiency to a New Level

Traditional incandescent light bulbs have an average life span of 1,200 hours, while compact fluorescent bulbs, or CFLs, fair better lasting an average 8,000 hours, according to the Design Recycle Inc. website. Substantially surpassing both bulbs, LEDs can last up to 50,000 hours.

Utilizing the LEDs longevity and low operating costs, Gimmy Chu, Tom Rodinger and Christian Yan of San Diego, Calif., developed the NanoLight and are asking for funding through Kickstarter.

Touted as the “most energy efficient light bulb in the world,” the NanoLight improves upon the amount of energy consumed and the life span of CFLs and incandescent light bulbs.

In a single year, homeowners may go through 30 incandescent light bulbs or four CFLs, according to Kickstarter. This translates to nearly $400 electricity costs for the incandescent bulb and nearly $100 for the CFL. A single NanoLight would replace all of these bulbs for a single year’s use and cost $50 to operate. These are substantial savings, especially in comparison to incandescent bulbs.

There are other efficient LED light bulbs on the market. However, the NanoLight takes LED technology to a new level. “The NanoLight takes energy efficient lighting to a whole new level by offering a light bulb far more efficient than any existing LED bulb,” as stated on Kickstarter. “It is a true breakthrough for LED lighting technology.”

“There are plenty of 20W to 60W equivalent LED light bulbs in the market today, but the selection for 75W to 100W equivalents is still quite rare,” according to Kickstarter. “To most light bulb manufacturers, high efficiency and cost effective light bulb production is still uncharted territory.”

Three models of the NanoLight are available—a 10W and two 12W versions. The 10W NanoLight is equivalent to a traditional 75W bulb. The bulb produces a neutral white glow that has a bit of warmth, according to Kickstarter, and “uses 87 percent less energy compared to a standard incandescent light bulb and 50 percent less energy than a typical compact fluorescent bulb with the same light output.”

The 10W NanoLight produces 120 lumens per watt. A lumen is a measurement of the amount of visible light that is emitted by a light bulb.

Producing the same glow as the 10W option, the 12W NanoLight is equivalent to a 100W traditional light bulb. One version of the 12W bulb produces 133 lumens per watt, and the second version produces 150 lumens per watt. This translates to light bulbs that are offering the greatest amount of light at the lowest operating costs available.

The NanoLight achieves full brightness the moment the light bulb is turned on and the light bulb is cool to the touch, which are both added benefits to using the light bulb. Along with being energy efficient, the NanoLight can be used in an enclosed fixture.

“Most LED light bulbs or CFLs have a problem of overheating within a fully enclosed fixture, which causes the LEDs to start failing well before their expected lifetime,” as stated on Kickstarter. “The reason for this is that these fixtures do not allow for sufficient air flow, thus trapping the heat inside and overheating the bulbs.”

“We cannot claim that the NanoLight will work in absolutely all enclosures, but we can say that the NanoLight emits less than half the heat energy as compared to other LED bulbs or CFLs,” as continued on Kickstarter. “The chance of overheating is far lessened.”

The NanoLight also has global compatibility, according to Kickstarter. A 200 volt to 240V AC for Europe and the Asia Pacific regions and a 120V AC light for North America are available.

To get a NanoLight of their own, backers will need to pledge at least $30 to receive a 10W NanoLight in white or black. When pledging $45, backers will receive a 12W light bulb that produces 133 lumens per watt and for $100, backers will receive the 12W bulb that produces 150 lumens per watt. The 12W bulbs are also available in white or black. All bulbs have an estimated September 2013 delivery.

The NanoLight will be fully funded on March 8, having received nearly $240,000 in pledges, well above the $20,000 goal.